Two class actions claim Duo Broadband was negligent in data breach

Duo Broadband class action lawsuits overview:

• Who: Two Illinois residents filed separate class action lawsuits against Duo Broadband and Communications Data Group.
• Why: The plaintiffs claim Duo Broadband and Communications Data Group (CDG) failed to properly safeguard customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) during a data breach.
• Where: The class action lawsuits were filed in Illinois federal court.

Two class action lawsuits allege Duo Broadband and Communications Data Group failed to properly safeguard the personally identifiable information of current and former customers during a data breach.

Plaintiffs Patty Bennett and Rilda Firkins claim the defendants were responsible for a data breach that resulted in the exposure of PII, such as first and last names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. The cases were filed on June 18 and 19 in Illinois federal court.

Bennett argues Duo Broadband and CDG failed to adequately protect customers’ PII and even encrypt or redact the highly sensitive information.

“Hackers targeted and obtained Plaintiff’s and Class Members’ Private Information because of its value in exploiting and stealing the identities of Plaintiff and Class Members,” Firkins said in her lawsuit.

The plaintiffs want to represent a nationwide class of all individuals whose PII was accessed and/or acquired by an unauthorized party as a result of the Duo Broadband data breach.

Duo Broadband, CDG failed to properly notify data breach victims, class action claims

Bennett further argues Duo Broadband and CDG waited more than three months to notify her and other data breach victims that their PII had been compromised.

“Defendants’ delay in notifying the plaintiff and class members of the data breach is in direct violation of Defendants’ responsibilities under the data breach notification statute in Illinois,” the Duo Broadband data breach class action lawsuit states.

The class actions allege Duo Broadband and CDG are guilty of negligence, negligence per se, breach of third-party beneficiary contract, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment and breach of fiduciary duty.

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of actual, nominal and consequential damages for herself and all class members.

In June, AT&T settled for $177 million to resolve allegations that a March 2024 data breach exposed personal information on the dark web and compromised phone call and text message records.

Did you receive a data breach notification letter from Duo Broadband? Let us know in the comments.

Bennett is represented by Andrew Shamis of Shamis & Gentile P.A. and J. Gerard Stranch IV and Grayson Wells of Stranch, Jennings & Garvey. Firkins is represented by Andrew J. Shamis of Shamis & Gentile P.A. and Leigh Montgomery of EKSM LLP.

The Duo Broadband data breach class action lawsuits are Bennett v. Communications Data Group Inc., et al., Case No. 2:25-cv-02181 and Firkins v. Communications Data Group Inc., et al., Case No. 2:25-cv-02182, both in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Urbana Division.

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